Minister for Mental Health Mark Butler today announced that the new John Cade Fellowship in Mental Health Research is open for applications.

“The new Fellowship will support up to two outstanding researchers with funding of $750,000 per annum for five years to drive innovative mental health research, especially in new and emerging areas,” Mr Butler said.

“The anticipated breakthrough approaches and treatments will benefit the one in five Australians who will suffer from mental illness at some stage in their lives.”

“The John Cade Fellowship forms part of the Australian Government’s $26.2 million strategic investment in mental health research.”

“We’ve recently announced funding for mental health Centres of Research Excellence and this new fellowship further underlines our focus on driving and entrenching reform with a strong program of mental health research.”

Australian researcher Dr John Cade discovered the use of lithium to successfully treat bipolar disorder – the first effective medication available to treat bipolar.

Now, more than 60 years later, the Gillard Government is seeking to support similarly transformative mental health research with a new fellowship that is named after Dr Cade.

National Health and Medical Research Council CEO Professor Warwick Anderson said the Fellowship will help expand leadership in our nation’s mental health research and strengthen Australia’s capacity to respond to the many challenges in this area.

“In particular, the Fellowship will focus on researchers who are able to contribute to the translation of discoveries into improved mental health outcomes,” Mr Anderson said.

Applications for the John Cade Fellowship will close on 17 October 2012. Successful John Cade Fellows are likely to be announced mid-2013.